Durham has reputation as town for foodies

Downtown Durham was on the verge of a renaissance in 2008 that would transform it into a prime nightlife destination. The transformation has been astonishingly fast, and it has been nothing less than spectacular.

Gray Brooks, a co-owner of Pizzeria Toro, says the restaurant, shut down by a fire in November, will reopen in mid-July.
HARRY LYNCH - NEWS & OBSERVER FILE PHOTO

In 2008 Bon Appétit magazine named the Durham-Chapel Hill area “America’s Foodiest Small Town.” Little did they know that they had discovered the beginnings of a food scene that was about to become the envy of many a larger city.

Downtown Durham in particular was on the verge of a renaissance that would transform it into a prime nightlife destination. The transformation has been astonishingly fast, and it has been nothing less than spectacular.

How spectacular? Of the 22 noteworthy foodie destinations highlighted in our downtown Durham guide, only three existed in 2008. These three – Rue Cler, Piedmont, and Toast Paninoteca – were brave pioneers scattered across a downtown that was just beginning to show signs of promise when they opened.

Six years later, that promise has been realized in a big way. Walking along a four-block stretch of Main Street, you’re faced with a wealth of options. Do you go for contemporary fine dining at Revolution or soul food satisfaction at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles? An authentic Cubano sandwich at Old Havana Sandwich Shop or Spanish tapas and a world class sherry selection at Mateo?

Venture a few steps off Main Street, and the temptations expand to include a refreshing contemporary take on traditional Mexican cuisine (Dos Perros); local grass-fed beef burgers and house-brewed beer (Bull City Burger & Brewery); and wood-fired pizza (Pompieri Pizza). You can make that two wood-fired pizza options come late July, when the outstanding Pizzeria Toro, closed by a fire in November, is slated to reopen.

Dessert? During the daytime, your dilemma is whether to opt for a maple bacon bourbon donut at Monuts or one of talented pastry chef Phoebe Lawless’ flaky-crusted pies at Scratch. The choice doesn’t get any easier after the sun goes down: chai-spiced cupcake iced with local honey buttercream at The Cupcake Bar, or house-churned fresh lavender ice cream at The Parlour?

Just north of The Loop (as the area around Main Street is referred to by locals), the Central Park District has been coming on strong of late. Most of the excitement is centered around the intersection of Geer and Foster Streets, dubbed the D.I.Y. District (a Central Park subset, if you will). Here you’ll find a smorgasbord of enticements packed into a compact area, from organic coffees, loose leaf teas and sipping chocolates (Cocoa Cinnamon) to authentic wood-cooked barbecue (The Pit).

With the downtown area yielding such a bumper crop of new restaurants, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the entire city has proven to be fertile soil for foodies. Anyone willing to get in the car and explore will discover a number of restaurants that rate as best-in-class in the Triangle (Vin Rouge and Yamazushi come to mind). Then there’s the wealth of ethnic eateries scattered all over town, from the perennially popular Super Taqueria on North Roxboro Road to the soulfully satisfying Korean fare at Vit Goal Tofu near RTP.

Durham’s reputation as a welcoming city for food trucks is well-deserved, too. Dozens of mobile vendors make their home base here, and several have proved so successful that they’ve opened brick-and-mortar locations. If you’re trying to track down the ones that are still on wheels, you’ll find their itinerary on their website or twitter feed. Or just head over to Fullsteam Brewery, where one or more of them are usually parked on any given night.